Dr Eleanor Tew is Head of Forest Planning at Forestry England and a Chartered Forester. She studied Biological Sciences at the Department of Zoology, Oxford University followed by a PhD in the Conservation Science Group at Cambridge University. In 2022, she was awarded the Hugh Miller Award for Excellence by the Institute of Chartered Foresters for her Professional Membership Entry application and was shortlisted for the institute’s Professional Forester of the Year 2024. Last year she led a horizon scanning exercise with diverse contributors from across the forestry sector. She was lead author of the resulting research paper (co-authored with our CEO) which highlights opportunities for the next 50 years but also warns of multiple emerging threats to woodlands, including tree disease and extreme weather.
Eleanor has technical knowledge and experience in natural capital and ecosystem services, forest resilience and sustainability, and forest planning, and will bring her innovative approaches and strategic thinking to the charity’s Environmental programme. Her academic research credentials will also support Sylva Foundation’s Science programme.